Kuwaiti MP Wasmi: Fighting Corruption Is a Top Priority

An aerial view shows Kuwait City. (Reuters)
An aerial view shows Kuwait City. (Reuters)
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Kuwaiti MP Wasmi: Fighting Corruption Is a Top Priority

An aerial view shows Kuwait City. (Reuters)
An aerial view shows Kuwait City. (Reuters)

Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al Sabah launched the first steps of comprehensive national reconciliation and began a new era of dialogue based on tolerance, cooperation and construction, announced lawmaker Obaid al-Wasmi.

In a televised speech, Wasmi said the National Dialogue Committee has drawn up a roadmap, noting that corruption and recovering state funds are at the top of its priorities for the next stage.

In September, the Emir launched a national dialogue to resolve the growing differences between the government and the National Assembly that had led to a political stalemate.

He also tasked a committee of the heads of the country’s top three authorities to propose the terms and conditions for pardoning some Kuwaitis who have been convicted during past periods, ahead of issuing a pardon decree.

About 40 members of the parliament appealed to the Emir to pardon convicts in various cases. The government said the Emir wanted to resolve all outstanding issues, achieve political stability and cooperate with all parties.

The pardon decrees were issued on Monday after the cabinet approved them during a special session.

Wasmi said in his speech that the deputies were tasked with one of the most complex missions, noting that regional and international developments require putting Kuwait’s interest above all.

The regional security and economic challenges and the political transformations in the world necessitate directing efforts to achieving the interests of the state and the sustainability of its resources, continued the MP.

Wasmi stressed that “the three authorities are one body based on cooperation and distributing tasks, not competition.”

He explained that the committee has drawn up a roadmap with specific goals, asserting that it will preserve the constitution.

The committee will not waive any of the state’s right to oversight and legislation, he said, adding that issues of corruption and the recovery of looted funds will be a top priority.



French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Option Ineffective in Israel-Iran Conflict 

French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Option Ineffective in Israel-Iran Conflict 

French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave said Paris believes that military intervention will not resolve the “problem” over Iran’s nuclear program.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said such a solution was “ineffective” because it cannot completely eliminate Iran’s nuclear knowledge or ensure the complete destruction of all of its nuclear facilities.

Moreover, he warned against attempts to change the Iranian regime from the outside, saying it may have dire consequences, such as the collapse of the state, civil war, instability, regional conflicts, migration crises and raise terrorism threat levels.

This instability may also impact the security of the Gulf region and extend to Europe as well, he warned.

Damage to Iran’s nuclear sites may lead to dangerous radiation in the region that may spread to other regions, including Gulf waters, he went on to say.

Furthermore, military intervention will pose major dangers to regional stability, the security of France’s partners and allies in the region, and the Hormuz Strait. It may lead to attacks on American military bases and energy infrastructure, warned Maisonnave.

A diplomatic solution is the best way forward, he stressed, explaining that it will lead to a viable and permanent solution that enjoys international backing. This solution must tackle technical issues, such as enrichment levels. It also averts the grave consequences of military escalation.

A diplomatic solution must ensure that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are allowed to tour nuclear facilities at any time and without prior notice, he added.

This is the path that France chose in the past and that it believes is the best way to reach a permanent and peaceful solution, he stressed.

At the same time, the ambassador acknowledged that the Iranian nuclear program was a dangerous threat to French and European security interests, as well as to countries of the Gulf given its potential to destabilize the region and the “security of our allies”.

This concern deepened after IAEA inspectors were for years unable to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, he remarked.

France and European countries are very concerned that the program was not designed with purely civilian purposes, Maisonnave said.